diff --git a/qlty-check/src/executor/invocation_result.rs b/qlty-check/src/executor/invocation_result.rs
index b0f4eae9..a6596f3e 100644
--- a/qlty-check/src/executor/invocation_result.rs
+++ b/qlty-check/src/executor/invocation_result.rs
@@ -276,7 +276,11 @@ impl InvocationResult {
                 self.invocation.tmpfile_contents = Some(contents);
             }
             Err(e) => {
-                self.invocation.parser_error = Some(e.to_string());
+                if self.plan.driver.missing_output_as_error {
+                    self.invocation.tmpfile_contents = Some("".to_string());
+                } else {
+                    self.invocation.parser_error = Some(e.to_string());
+                }
             }
         }
 
@@ -323,14 +327,20 @@ impl InvocationResult {
                 &self.invocation.stdout
             };
 
-            let file_results = self.plan.driver.parse(output, &self.plan);
+            if output.is_empty() && self.plan.driver.missing_output_as_error {
+                self.invocation.exit_result =
+                    qlty_types::analysis::v1::ExitResult::UnknownError.into();
+                self.log_error_output();
+            } else {
+                let file_results = self.plan.driver.parse(output, &self.plan);
 
-            match file_results {
-                Ok(file_results) => {
-                    self.file_results = Some(file_results);
-                }
-                Err(e) => {
-                    self.invocation.parser_error = Some(e.to_string());
+                match file_results {
+                    Ok(file_results) => {
+                        self.file_results = Some(file_results);
+                    }
+                    Err(e) => {
+                        self.invocation.parser_error = Some(e.to_string());
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.in/.gitignore b/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.in/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..abbd1c70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.in/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+.qlty/results
+.qlty/logs
+.qlty/out
+.qlty/sources
diff --git a/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.in/.qlty/qlty.toml b/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.in/.qlty/qlty.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..16e0dc0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.in/.qlty/qlty.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+config_version = "0"
+
+[plugins.definitions.exists]
+file_types = ["shell"]
+
+[plugins.definitions.exists.drivers.lint]
+prepare_script = "mkdir ${linter} && echo dir %2 > ${linter}/ls.cmd"
+script = "echo \"The plugin crashed for some reason\""
+success_codes = [0]
+output = "tmpfile"
+missing_output_as_error = true
+
+[[plugin]]
+name = "exists"
+version = "1.0.0"
diff --git a/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.in/sample.sh b/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.in/sample.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..279508d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.in/sample.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+echo "hi"
diff --git a/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.stderr b/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fb45509f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+     [0/1] [..]Planning... [..]s
+     [1/1] [..]Analyzing all targets...[..]
+❌ Lint error
diff --git a/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.stdout b/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.stdout
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a568d64f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.stdout
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Lint error exists: Exited with code 0 .qlty/out/invocations/invoke-[..].yaml
+[..]The plugin crashed for some reason[..]
+
+Checked 1 files
diff --git a/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.toml b/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1e5615cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qlty-cli/tests/cmd/check/missing_output_as_error.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+bin.name = "qlty"
+args = ["check", "--all", "--no-cache"]
+status.code = 3
diff --git a/qlty-config/src/config/plugin.rs b/qlty-config/src/config/plugin.rs
index 6c0bddc6..4a87374d 100644
--- a/qlty-config/src/config/plugin.rs
+++ b/qlty-config/src/config/plugin.rs
@@ -110,6 +110,9 @@ pub struct DriverDef {
 
     #[serde(default)]
     pub autoload_script: Option<String>,
+
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub missing_output_as_error: bool,
 }
 
 fn default_driver_timeout() -> u64 {